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30.05.2011/ Professional ethics and Access to legal help - roundtable

Round table and reception held on 3rd anniversary of Pro Bono Centrum on Thursday, 9th of June 2011 in residence of the US Ambassador in Prague (Dr. Zikmunda Wintra 3, Praha).

You can find more information here.

23.01.2011/ JUDr. Petra Marková received PRO BONO attorney of the year 2010 award

JUDr. Petra Marková from the city of Plzeň was named PRO BONO attorney of the year 2010 at the event of the prestigious competition The Lawyer of the Year.

The Pro BONO attorney of the year award is to be awarded to attorneys, who voluntarily provide free legal services to low-income clients, socially or otherwise disadvantaged and vulnerable clients or civil society organizations. The expert jury was choosing the honored attorney out of 8 nominations.

JUDr. Petra Marková was honored for providing long-term and systematic free legal aid services to civil society organizations in Plzeň. The provided legal services included legal counseling, legal analysis as well as trainings. The jury appreciated JUDr. Marková´s significant contribution to the development of civil society in Plzeň especially in the area of social and debt counseling.

Congratulations!

We are pleased to inform that JUDr. Petra Marková is also involved in Pro Bono Centrum project, for which we express our sincere gratitude.
Attorneys involved with Pro Bono Centrum as well those who provide pro bon o legal services independently may receive the PRO BONO award. The organizers find important that the number of the attorneys providing pro bono legal services is raising. The Pro Bono Centrum project has been so far successful in achieving that.

For more information contact:
Mgr. Vítězslav Dohnal, Pro bono alliance, mobil: +420 776 834 534, email: vdohnal@probonoaliance.cz, www.probonocentrum.cz, www.probonoaliance.cz

04.01.2011/ 34 law firms and attorneys cooperating with Pro Bono Centrum
More and more law firms and attorneys are actively joining Pro Bono Centrum project. At the moment there are 34 law firms cooperating with Pro Bono Centrum. Pro Bono Centrum project was joined recently by Schaffer and partner, Sládek and partners or JUDr. Karel Bocek. Please see complete list of the Pro bono Centrum partner law firms and attorneys here.

26.11.2010/ Workshop on executions, insolvency, discharging from debts and personal bankruptcy

Pro Bono Centrum organized on 25th November 2010 workshop on executions, insolvency, discharging from debts and personal bankruptcy. The lectors were JUDr. Stanislav Pazderka, executor (Execution Office in Písek) and Mgr. Jáchym Oswald, assistant to the judge (Insolvency Department of the Regional Court in Ústí nad Labem).
The workshop focused on the issues encountered by civil society organizations while providing aid to people in debt trap, low-income or otherwise socially disadvantaged people. Attorneys and civil society organizations involved in the activities of Pro Bono Centrum were given priority to participate at the workshop.

For more information contact:
Mgr. Vítězslav Dohnal, Pro bono alliance, mobil: +420 776 834 534, email: vdohnal@probonoaliance.cz, www.probonocentrum.cz, www.probonoaliance.cz

31.08.2010/ PILA is becoming a Pro Bono Alliance
Civil society organization Public Interest Lawyers Association (PILA) is changing its name. From now on you will meet us under a new name - Pro Bono Alliance (PBA). For more information please click here.

27.08.2010/ Pro Bono Centrum news - simplification, new coordinator and new contacts

We decided to simplify the requirements for civil society organizations for joining the Pro Bono Centrum project. Newly we do not conclude contracts with the CSOs, only written consent with the rules of Pro Bono Centrum operation is sufficient.
From 1st September 2010 Kateřina Kloubová is in charge of dispatching requests for pro bono legal services. Kateřina has been so far mainly organizing our educational events, she is known especially among the participants to Human Rights School.
In relation to changing the name of the organization to Pro Bono Alliance, the new Pro Bono Centrum contact email is probono@probonoaliance.cz.

29.04.2010/ National Pro Bono Forum - a successful event

National Pro Bono Forum organized by Pro Bono Alliance (then PILA) together with Czech Bar Association took place on 28th April 2010 under the patronage of the president of Czech Constitutional Court, JUDr. Pavel Rychetský. The event was attended by more than 50 representatives of law firms, civil society organizations, academia and justice. For more information please click here.

25.1.2010/ Stepan Holub was awarded as a first Pro Bono attorney of the year

Mrs. Stepan Holub, attorney form Prague, was announced as first Pro Bono Attorney of the year. The award was announced during prestigious Lawyer of the year celebration evening. The award was prepared by PILA in coorpartion with Czech Bar Association and EPRAVO.CZ.

4.8.2009/ European Pro Bono Forum 5. a 6.11.2009

Third Euroepan Pro Bono Forum will be held again in Budapests. Information about the Forum including application form you can find on the web page of the Public Interest Law Institute.

20.7.2009/ Next 3 NGOs among partners of Pro bono centrum

The Interantiona Association Civic Belarus, Argo - Society of the good will and Civic advisory bureau Caslav became new partners of the Pro bono centrum. They joined other 36 NGOs officialy involved into the project.

15.7.2009/ New contact for the Pro bono centrum

Since the beginning of July 2009 Pro Bono Centrum operates form Tabor only (PILA - Pro bono centrum, Prevratilska 330, 390 01 Tabor). Office in Prague (Senovazne sq.) was closed. The services are provided in full scope, contact email and phone number remain the same.

30.6.2009/ New Bulletin of accessible legal help published

You can find it on www.bezplatnapravnipomoc.cz.

29.6.2009/ Interview with Lord Andrew Phillips on www.ipravnik.cz

Web portal of the C.H.Beck publishing company www.ipravnik.cz published short interview with the Lord Andrew Phillips. Lord Phillipes ahred his views on pro bono lawyering and generally on access to legal help.

16.6.2009/ Pro bono centr first anniversary

Pro bono center helped to find legal help for 25 requests of the Czech NGOs during its first year of existence. 34 NGOs and 17 law firms are involved in the project implementation. More then 50 lawyers took actively part in provideingd pro bono services.

15.6.2009/ New Bulletin of accessible legal help published

Youcan find it on www.bezplatnapravnipomoc.cz.

14.5.2009/ Lord Phillips on pro bono - lecture and dicussion

As the part of the Pro Bono Centrum first anniverssary celebration, Lodr Andrew Phillips witl give lecture for attorney and NGO lawyers. It will be held on Tuesday 9th of June at 15:45 in Palac Dunaj in Prague.

13.2.2009/ Second workshop on the patient rights

The workshop will be held on Thursday 19th of March at 15:00 in the Allen&Overy premises in Prague (V Celnici 4).

16.12.2009/ Workshop on the patient rights

Workshop will be held on Thursday 15th of January at 14:00in the Allen&Overy premises in Prague (V Celnici 4). The workshop is organized as part of the activities to promote pro bono advocacy.

4.9. 2008/ Register online for Second Annual European Pro Bono Forum. Early registration ends on 25th September!
6 - 7 November 2008, Budapest, Hungary

The Public Interest Law Institute (PILI) is pleased to announce that it will host the Second Annual European Pro Bono Forum in Budapest, Hungary at the Mercure Budapest Buda Hotel on 6 - 7 November 2008.

This year's event will bring together over two hundred lawyers, NGOs, and academics to explore emerging trends in pro bono law across continental Europe, including:

How global law firm networks and local law offices are institutionalizing pro bono within their practices;
The increasing role of the bar and media in promoting pro bono;
Successful models of European pro bono clearinghouses; and
The valuable role of lawyers and law firms in assisting the work of NGOs.

The Forum will feature a Pro Bono and Human Rights workshop as well as other interactive workshops for lawyers and NGO representatives. There will be candid discussions about the challenges law firms face managing pro bono cases, and NGOs will have the chance to explore how law firms can assist them with governance, contractual and registration issues, among other matters, through the NGO Marketplace.

Péter Köves, President of the European Council of Bars and Law Societies (CCBE), will be a keynote speaker at the opening reception.

Registration is mandatory for the European Pro Bono Forum. Register online at PILI website.

3.7.2008/ Pro bono clearinghouse media coverage

The Pro bono clearinghouse opening gained some media attention also. There were several articles published on the internet, you can find them here:

Pro bono clearinghouse coordinators give also 2 interviews for the Czech radio.

27.6.2008/ Pro bono clearinghouse opening succesfull

More then 30 participants came to the pro bono clearinghouse opening. Representatives of 12 law firms and 10 NGOs were among them. Short speeches were made by Michael Feldman (Cultural Atache, US Embassy Prague), Michael Diedring (director of the CEELI Institute), Erwin Hanslik (e/n/w/c law firm partner) and Vitezslav Dohnal (director of PILA). Richard W. Graber, the US Ambassador to Prague, came also to greet the participants.

General Pro bono declaration was opened for signing during this event. Representatives of 11 law firms signed the declaration.

You can find some pictures form the opening in the fotogalerie section.

25.6.2008/ Clearinghouse opening in Prague

It is big pleasure for us to announce, that in attendance of the U.S. Ambassador, Mr. Richard W. Graber official opening of the first Czech pro bono clearinghouse will be held on June 25 at Americke centrum, Trziste 13 Praha 1.

The event will start at 2 p.m.
During the opening the pro bono declaration for law firms will be opened
for signing.
Representatives of law firms and NGOs are warmly invited to come.
Please book this date in your diaries.
More detailed information about the program will come soon.

14.5.2008/ Register for Second Annual European Pro Bono Forum!
6 - 7 November 2008, Budapest, Hungary

How global law firm networks and local law offices are institutionalizing pro bono within their practices;
The increasing role of the bar and media in promoting pro bono;
Successful models of European pro bono clearinghouses; and
The valuable role of lawyers and law firms in assisting the work of NGOs.

11.03.2008/ Second European Pro Bono Forum

Second European Pro Bono Forum wiil be held in Budapest, 6 - 7 November 2008.

08.03.2008/ Pro Bono roundtable in Brno

Pro Bono roundtable wil be held also in Brno, 27th of March.

07.03.2008 | U.S. Ambassador will come to open the roundtable on the pro bono
Ambassador of the USA, Richard W. Graber will make openinh speech during the pro bono roundtable. The event will take place on Tuesday 11th of March in Prague (CEELI Institute).

04.03.2008 | Pro Bono at the Charles University Law School
PILA, League of Human Rights and ELSA organize lecture "What is Pro Bono and how does it work in the US?". Michael Haroz (Goulston & Storrs law firm partner) will be speaker. The event will be held on Wednesday 12th of March at 10 a.m.

30.01.2008 | Pro bono round table under preparation
Pro bono round table will be held on 11 of March 2008 in CEELI Institute Prague. Michael Haroz (US attorney, Boston), Veronika Kristkova (League of Human Rights) and representative of PILI (Budapest) will be among speakers.

10.09.2007 | European Pro Bono Forum
The Public Interest Law Institute (PILI) convenes the first European Pro Bono Forum in Budapest, Hungary on 18-19 October 2007. The first event of its kind to take place in continental Europe, the conference will provide a forum for connecting interested law firms with European offices and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) from throughout Europe. More information on www.pili.org.